1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a supporting structure, and in particular to a supporting structure to assist in opening and closing the cover of a business machine.
2. Description of the Related Art
When exchanging ink cartridges in a conventional business machine, a cover thereof must be opened, exposing the ink cartridges therein. A basic requirement for users when replacing ink cartridges is that the cover can be lifted easily and held in a predetermined open position.
A conventional business machine 10 is shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b. The business machine 10 comprises a cover 12 pivoting on the main body 11 and a supporting structure 13 therebetween. The supporting structure 13 has a linkage 131 with a first slot 133. The linkage 131 pivots on the cover 12 at one end and connects to a second slot 134 of a seat 132 in the main body 11 through a joint 135 at the other. The joint 135, thus, can slide in the first and second slots 133, 134 when the cover 12 is being opened or closed. In FIG. 1a, the cover 12 is closed and the joint 135 is on the left side of the second slot 134. When the cover 12 is lifted, the linkage 131 is moved and pushes the joint 135 rightward to the right side of the second slot 134 and a bottom position of the first slot 133 as shown in FIG. 1b. Because the first slot 133 has a neck portion at its bottom end, force is required to allow the joint 135 to re-enter the middle portion of the first slot 133 when the cover 12 is closed. Thus, the position of the opened cover 12 can be maintained, but the cover 12 can easily close and collide with the main body 11, under unexpected force.